Security Awareness Training

The Top 10 Phishing Simulation And Testing Solutions

Phishing simulation and testing tools will give users real-world experience of combatting phishing attacks. Explore features including phishing templates, reporting plugins, and user metrics tracking tools.

Last updated on Jul 10, 2024

Written by Alex Zawalnyski

Technical review by Craig MacAlpine

The Top 10 Phishing Simulation and Testing Solutions include:

1. Hoxhunt
2. Phished
3. SafeTitan Security Awareness Training
4. ESET Cybersecurity Awareness Training
5. IRONSCALES
6. Jericho Security
7. Barracuda Security Awareness Training
8. NINJIO PHISH3D
9. KnowBe4
10. Proofpoint Security Awareness Training

Phishing simulations test users’ ability to identify and report phishing attacks by delivering fake phishing emails to the user’s inbox and monitoring their response to those emails.

The Challenge: Traditionally, phishing attacks targeted up to thousands of people at once; today, they’re more sophisticated. The attacker researches their target and aims to gain their trust, making the attack more difficult to spot. This means that the end user is much more likely to respond to the attacker and share sensitive company information, like financial details or login credentials.

How Phishing Simulation And Testing Tools Work: Often deployed as part of a wider security awareness training (SAT) program, phishing simulation and testing solutions allow admins to send fake phishing emails to their users. They then monitor how each user responds to the email, i.e., whether they report it or interact with it (click on a link, download an attachment).

This gives IT and security teams a clearer understanding of their organization’s resilience to phishing threats, and enables them to assign further training where needed.

In this article, we’ll highlight:

The best phishing simulation and testing solutions designed to increase resilience against phishing
Standout features of each solution
Who they are best suited for

Hoxhunt

Hoxhunt provides security awareness and phishing training solutions that foster positive behavior changes amongst employees by training them to detect and respond to cyberthreats. This also enables IT teams to monitor user activity and identify potentially dangerous behaviors.

What We Like: This solution delivers highly personalized training; its AI engine identifies each user’s weaknesses and focuses training in those areas.

Best Features:

Delivers personalized phishing simulations to each user based on skill level, department, and geolocation
Simulations are available in 30+ languages
Real-time performance tracking with in-depth reporting into which users are reporting phishing emails
Allows users to report real suspicious emails, analyzes them in real-time, and categorize the risk level to reduce SOC workload
Creates bespoke learning paths for each user based on their performance in simulations
Rewards users with stars and badges for successfully reporting emails and completing bite-sized trainings
Enables users to track their progress compared to their peers via a leader board

We Recommend: Hoxhunt is a strong solution for larger, global enterprises operating in industries that are susceptible to high-profile cyberattacks, such as critical infrastructure, financial services, legal, technology, and manufacturing.

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Phished

Phished is a SAT provider that empowers users to identify and confidently report email threats. Their holistic approach combines awareness training and checkpoints, phishing and SMiShing simulations, active reporting, and threat intelligence.

What We Like: This is a fully featured SAT and phishing simulation solution—it offers everything an organization needs to train their users to identify phishing threats and test their responses to them.

Best Features:

Micro-learning modules with gamified content (users can earn badges, medals, and certificates)
Automatically sends users personalized phishing and SMiShing simulations, with difficulty, frequency, and message type tailored according to users’ responses to training
Phished Report Button enables users to report both simulations and genuine threats
Automatically analyzes and quarantines genuine phishing threats that are reported by users
Uses threat intelligence to identify malicious campaigns taking place globally and notify users of potential threats
Behavioral Risk Score gives users and admins immediate insight into where their vulnerabilities lie
Deploys easily within any email client, including Google Workspace and Microsoft 365
Offers 24/7 support in any language via AI assistant, “Aria”

We Recommend: Phished is a strong solution for any organization looking to train their employees to identify and report phishing threats.

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SafeTitan Security Awareness Training

Titan HQ’s SafeTitan Security Awareness Training is a behavior-driven SAT solution that uses gamified, tailored, and up-to-date training material and automated phishing simulations to create changes in user behavior.

What We Like: This solution targets specific user behaviors, providing real-time intervention training in combination with simulated phishing attacks to reinforce a security-first mindset amongst users.

Best Features:

Extensive library of relevant and up-to-date training courses, videos, and quizzes
Tailored, gamified training modules last 8–10-minutes to minimize disruption to employee productivity
Simulations are fully automated, adaptable, and come with a regularly updated library of thousands of phishing templates
HIPPA, GDPA, ISO EU NIS, and Cyber Essentials compliant
SCORM compliant and LMS compatible
Reporting offers a 360-degree view of users’ progress in terms of completing training content and responding to phishing simulations

We Recommend: SafeTitan Security Awareness Training caters to a range of sectors including education, business, and healthcare. We recommend this solution to organizations looking for strong cyber risk management that delivers behavioral change and measured effectiveness.

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ESET Cybersecurity Awareness Training

ESET is a cybersecurity provider that specializes in digital security and anti-malware solutions for homes, small businesses, and larger enterprises. ESET Cybersecurity Awareness Training is their phishing awareness training and simulation solution.

What We Like: ESET really focuses on making their training content enjoyable for the learner, which helps boost completion and retention rates. We especially like the RPG-style training module, which allows users put their knowledge to practice in a low-pressure environment.

Best Features:

Gamified, easy-to-understand, bite-size training videos covering a broad range of cybersecurity topics
90-minute gamified training module acts like an RPG; users play a role as an IT technician and assist their fictional team with security problems
Training program is regularly updated with advanced bonus training packs and new, single-topic learning modules
Customizable, pervasive phishing email simulations
User progress monitoring includes details on training completion and phishing simulation responses
Automatically enrols users that fail simulations on targeted training modules
Awards users with a certificate and LinkedIn badge upon completion

We Recommend: We recommend this service for small to mid-sized enterprises looking for effective, easy-to-manage security awareness training and phishing simulation, particularly those utilizing ESET’s wider endpoint protection solution suite.

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IRONSCALES

IRONSCALES is an all-in-one anti-phishing platform that protects against social engineering attacks by using AI-driven email security technology and training users to spot and report phishing emails. All of the solution’s three packages—Starter, Email Protect, and Complete Protect—include phishing and SMiShing simulations.

What We Like: This solution’s phishing simulation and phishing remediation features are highly effective. It’s a great all-in-one platform for targeted spear-phishing protection.

Best Features:

Fully customizable phishing campaigns—admins can choose from a library of real-world templates and target small user groups
GPT-powered phishing simulation testing generates personalized spear-phishing emails
Benchmarking assessments analyze each user’s ability to recognize phishing emails, then determine the difficulty of phishing simulations sent to each user
Report Phishing button (compatible with desktop, browser, or mobile) allows users to report simulations and genuine threats to their IT/security team
Advanced reporting capabilities allow admins to track users’ progress in real-time
Integrates with Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace in minutes using native APIs, with no configuration changes or interruptions to email delivery

We Recommend: IRONSCALES is ideal for SMBs and larger enterprises looking to deploy phishing simulations as part of a broader email security and threat remediation platform. It isn’t the best solution for organizations looking for phishing awareness training.

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Jericho Security

Jericho Security’ innovative phishing simulation and security awareness training solution trains users to detect and mitigate cyber threats with highly customizable, hyper-realistic training.

What We Like: The platform creates simulations using dark web data and real-world phishing examples, ensuring that users are trained to identify realistic, modern threats, such as AI-generated phishing attacks.

Jericho Security is a start-up company with a growing team. We were impressed by the quality of the training materials and by the user-friendly dashboard, and we expect the solution to continue improving over time—both in terms of quality of materials and additional features.

Best Features:

100% customizable, video-based training content covering a variety of workplace policies and risks
AI engine generates new training content within 24 hours
Dynamic, personalized phishing simulations, timed individually for each recipient and with difficulty escalation
Rewards users for simulation completion
Multi-lingual support across all training and simulation content
Executive-level reports and granular progress and performance tracking for individuals, groups, and roles
One-click integration with Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, and Okta

We Recommend: Jericho Security offers a modern, AI-enhanced approach to cybersecurity training and awareness that’s suitable for any organization.

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Barracuda Security Awareness Training

Barracuda Security Awareness Training is a comprehensive solution designed to help organizations mitigate email security risks by simulating threats, analyzing user behavior, and educating users.

What We Like: Barracuda offers the option to integrate Security Awareness Training with their other email protection products, eliminating siloes and delivering a more cohesive approach to email security management.

Best Features:

Utilizes threat intelligence gathered from Barracuda’s email protection services to create hundreds of realistic simulation and training content templates
Trains users to identify email phishing, SMiShing, vishing, and found physical media (USB/SD card) attacks
Advanced simulation features include time stamping, phone home macros, DLP tagging, and geolocation
Phish Reporting Button enables users to report phishing attempts
Ready-to-launch training designed to meet compliance requirements
Customizable reporting dashboards with user behavior metrics, detailed trend analytics, and benchmarking statistics
Captures thousands of data points to provide deeper and more useful insights into exactly where risks exist
Monthly “ClickThinking” content bundles that consist of infographics, posters, and videos

We Recommend: Barracuda Security Awareness training well suited to any organization looking for phishing awareness campaigns that are easy to set up and quick to deploy, and particularly organizations looking for SAT that they can deploy alongside a robust email security solution.

NINJIO PHISH3D

NINJIO PHISH3D is phishing simulation program that uses attack vector-based phishing testing and emotional susceptibility testing to examine users’ vulnerability to key attack methods employed by malicious actors.

What We Like: This solution can test users’ susceptibility to ransomware, CEO fraud/whaling, spear phishing, SMiShing, business email compromise, credential theft, malware, and malicious attachments.

Best Features:

Centralized user provisioning with static and dynamic user groups for optimized delivery
Uses adaptive learning to continually test against common real-world hacking techniques
Examines users’ susceptibility to seven key emotional triggers employed by malicious actors
Automatically adjusts the difficulty of each user’s phishing campaigns
Thousands of existing phishing templates in multiple languages, which are regularly updated based on recent attacks
Simple, intuitive campaign setup
Insightful, real-time reporting at the company, group, department, and individual levels

We Recommend: This is a great solution for organizations that may be vulnerable to social engineering attacks, or which require data on individual performance.

KnowBe4

KnowBe4 is a security awareness training provider that offers a comprehensive suite of interactive content to educate employees on security awareness and best practices.

What We Like: This platform offers one of the largest libraries of regularly added training content.

Best Features:

Extensive library of over 1,300 resources, including interactive modules, videos, games, posters, and newsletters
Analyzes individual employee behavior and user attributes to deliver personalized simulated phishing campaigns, training assignments, remedial learning, and reporting
Enables organizations to measure their phishing risk against similar-sized companies in the same industry
Offers over 60 built-in reports for training and phishing campaigns, plus high-level overviews of your previous five campaigns
Supports content translations in more than 34 languages
KnowBe4 Learner App supports on-demand training via smartphone or tablet
Wide range of third-party integrations available
Option to upload your own SCORM-compliant training materials

We Recommend: KnowBe4 is a robust and comprehensive solution for any organization looking to improve their cyber resilience. Because KnowBe4 also offers a student edition of the product, it’s also suitable for high schools, universities, and higher education colleges.

Proofpoint Security Awareness Training

Proofpoint Security Awareness Training combines phishing simulations, culture assessments, and cybersecurity assessments to deliver data-driven security awareness programs that educate users on real-world threats.

What We Like: This solution uses the threat intelligence gathered by Proofpoint’s email security solution every day to inform its approach to SAT. By combining this intelligence with simulated phishing test results, the solution enables organizations to focus on their most vulnerable users.

Best Features:

Creates email, SMS, and other types of phishing campaigns in minutes
PhishAlarm button enables users to report email phishing attempts
Predefined cybersecurity assessments and adaptive learning assessments help uncover users’ knowledge gaps around data protection, passwords, compliance, and phishing
Assesses employees’ feelings of responsibility, importance, and empowerment regarding cybersecurity
Identifies the organization’s most targeted users, how they’re being attacked, and whether they’re engaging with malicious messages
Provides a ranked list of high-risk users and vulnerabilities based on the security controls your organization has in place

We Recommend: Proofpoint Security Awareness Training is a strong solution for larger enterprises, and particularly those that are also in the market for an email security solution.

The Top 10 Phishing Simulation And Testing Solutions

Phishing Simulation and Testing Solutions: Everything You Need To Know (FAQs)

What Is Phishing?

Phishing is a type of cyberattack where threat actors attempt to lure users into

Clicking on a malicious link
Downloading a malicious file
Share sensitive information, like financial data or credentials

Traditionally, phishing attacks were sent by email and used a “scatter gun” approach; they would spam hundreds and thousands of accounts with the same attack, in the hope the one or two of the users would fall for it.

Today, phishing is more sophisticated; the attackers researches their target and tried to manipulate them into thinking the message is from a trusted sender, so they’re more likely to interact with it. Plus, while email is still the most common medium for phishing, threat actors today also use SMS, phone calls, and social media to carry out phishing attacks.

What Are The Different Types Of Phishing?

Aside from email phishing, here are some other common types of phishing attack to be aware of:

Vishing: Voice phishing, or “vishing”, attacks are sent via phone calls or voice notes
SMiShing: SMiShing attacks are sent via SMS
Spear phishing: Spear phishing attacks target one specific individual, rather than hundreds of users at once. They often impersonate real employees, and use spoofed domains and other fraudulent material to make the attack more realistic
Whaling: Whaling is a type of spear phishing used to target a senior individual within an organization, such as a CEO or board member. These attacks are highly specific and target, and often involve impersonation
Pharming: Pharming attacks redirect users to fake websites, where they’re tricked into typing in sensitive information that is then sent directly to the attacker

How Does Phishing Simulation And Testing Work?

Often delivered as part of a wider security awareness training (SAT) solution, phishing simulations are fake phishing emails sent from IT admins to their company’s end users to test those users’ susceptibility to phishing attacks. Once the email is sent, the user can report it, interact with it, or ignore it. There are two main benefits to this:

Users can put their security awareness training to practice and identify phishing threats in a secure, real-world way
IT admins can identify their most vulnerable users based on their responses to phishing tests, and assign further training or step-up security where needed

How Can You Get The Most From Your Phishing Simulation Solution?

Follow these recommendations to make sure your users get the most out of your phishing simulation tool:

Don’t use simulation in isolation. Most phishing simulation tools are designed to be used alongside a security awareness training platform, which trains your users on how to identify and respond to phishing attacks. If you deploy phishing simulations without giving your users any training, you can still monitor user behavior but you won’t be teaching them how to improve.
Tailor campaigns to your users. Different users within your organization may face different types of attack depending on their role, department, and seniority. Tailor your campaigns so that they present each user with attacks that they’re likely to experience in real life.
Update your templates. To make the training as accurate and effective as possible, you should ensure that the simulations are based on current, realistic attacks. Some solutions use threat intelligence feeds to create realistic emails for your automatically.

What Are The Benefits Of Phishing Simulation And Testing?

There are a few reasons why you might want to implement a phishing simulation tool:

Prevent data breaches: Simulated phishing emails teach your employees how to spot a phishing attack so that they won’t fall victim to a real one. Phishing simulations can also enable admins to identify any individuals or user groups that are more susceptible to attacks, so that you can assign further training to them.
Monitor your attack rate: Phishing simulation solutions collect data on the success rate of each campaign, such as how many users opened the email, how many users clicked on a link to a “compromised” website or downloaded an attachment, and how many users reported the email. You can use this data to monitor your employees’ learning and your organization’s resilience to phishing over time.
Motivate your users: Testing employees at the end of their awareness training program can also motivate them to really engage with the program so that they do well in the test. Some simulation solutions take this a step further by turning campaigns into a competition and displaying the results on a leader board.
Cultivate a culture of security: Continuous awareness training and testing ensure that cybersecurity is always at the forefront of your employees’ minds. Helping employees not only to become aware of the topic but also to actively engage with it will help to foster a culture of security across your entire workforce.
Ensure compliance: Many regulatory frameworks, including GDPR and PCI, require organizations to undertake security awareness training in order to become compliant. Testing is recommended as a part of this training in order to track progress and improvement over time.
Minimize insurance premiums: Awareness training can reassure a cybersecurity insurer that you are taking proactive steps to reduce your human risk levels, which in turn can help reduce your insurance premium.

Alex Zawalnyski

Journalist & Content Editor

Alex is an experienced journalist and content editor. He researches, writes, factchecks and edits articles relating to B2B cyber security and technology solutions, working alongside software experts. Alex was awarded a First Class MA (Hons) in English and Scottish Literature by the University of Edinburgh.

Craig MacAlpine

CEO and Founder

Craig MacAlpine is CEO and founder of Expert Insights. Before founding Expert Insights in August 2018, Craig spent 10 years as CEO of EPA cloud, an email security provider acquired by Ziff Davies, formerly J2Global (NASQAQ: ZD) in 2013, which has now been rebranded as VIPRE Email Security. Craig has extensive experience in the email security industry, with 20+ years of experience helping organizations to stay secure with innovative information security and cyber security solutions.